CHANCELLOR MILLIKEN: ENDING DACA WOULD HARM OUR COUNTRY

August 30, 2017

“For five years the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program has made a difference in the lives of thousands of young people and has been a benefit to their communities and the nation. DACA has brought hope to 800,000 dreamers who have grown up in this country, contributed to it, and who demonstrate their commitment to our communities and country every day. Ending this program would be a great tragedy, not only for the students who directly benefit, but also for the country.

“DACA beneficiaries across the country have excelled as students and advanced to careers and graduate degrees. There are hundreds of DACA dreamers on CUNY campuses whose lives would be profoundly disrupted, their futures thrown into doubt, should the program be ended.

“With 40 percent of our undergraduates born in another country and hosting the nation’s most extensive university-based legal assistance program for immigrants, CUNY remains fully committed to serving our outstanding immigrant students who are pursuing their dreams in New York — including, of course, the DACA students on our campuses. We stand ready to offer them counseling and other support with needs like housing and food, and to do all we can to help them continue their educations with the possibility of private scholarships. But we certainly hope it doesn’t come to that.

“Our nation should make our institutions, communities and nation stronger by maintaining the indispensable DACA program. It represents the best of our traditions and values.”